Valve, Linux and the Windows 8 'Catastrophe'

"Basically, Valve is looking at a future where getting their apps to consumers means going through Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft or Sony," suggested Roberto Lim, a lawyer and blogger on Mobile Raptor. "It seems like they are a bit worried about that kind of future. The only platform which guarantees to remain open to apps direct from the publishers is Linux."

By Katherine Noyes
07/30/12 5:00 AM PT

Love knows no bounds, as the old saying goes, and there may be no better example than the Linux community's feelings for Valve.

Today, however, the flame of Linux geeks' love for Valve burns brighter than ever before. The reason? None other than a series of comments made by Valve cofounder Gabe Newell at the recent Casual Connect videogame conference in Seattle.

Newell's words may have focused on operating systems and technology platforms, but they fell like so many tender sweet nothings upon the Linux community's collective ears.

'The Openness of the Platform'

"In order for innovation to happen, a bunch of things that aren't happening on closed platforms
need to occur," Newell reportedly said. "Valve wouldn't exist today without the PC, or Epic, or Zynga, or Google. They all wouldn't have existed without the openness of the platform.

"We are looking at the platform and saying, 'We've been a free rider, and we've been able to benefit from everything that went into PCs and the Internet, and we have to continue to figure out how there will be open platforms,'" Newell added.

Swooning yet? Just wait for what comes next.

'Windows 8 Is a Catastrophe'

"We want to make it as easy as possible for the 2,500 games on Steam to run on Linux as well," Newell said. "It's a hedging strategy.

"I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space," he added. "I think we'll lose some of the top-tier PC/OEMs, who will exit the market. I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people. If that's true, then it will be good to have alternatives to hedge against that eventuality."

In no time at all, Linux bloggers everywhere began tripping over themselves in their haste to proclaim their love.

'A Train Wreck'

"I've tried Windows 8, and I couldn't agree with Gabe Newell any more than I do," enthused Google+ blogger
Linux Rants, for example.

"Windows 8 is a disaster, plain and simple," he added. "I'd recommend staying as far away from it as possible. If this travesty of an operating system is what it takes to push more users to Linux, we have Microsoft to thank for coming through on delivering that travesty."

That said, however, "Windows 8 doesn't exactly have Gabe Newell's best interests at heart," Linux Rants pointed out. "Valve's Steam is basically a software store, and as such, will compete directly with the Windows Store integrated into Windows 8. If done well, the Windows Store could spell the end for Steam."

Of course, "that's a huge 'if,' as everything else about Windows 8 is a train wreck," he concluded. "I think Steam is safe, and will give many Linux users out there a great opportunity to play their games without WINE."

'That Is Very Insightful'

Indeed, Newell "is not the first to say that about Windows 8, and hedging makes sense," opined Google+ blogger Kevin O'Brien.

Even more significant, however, "is that he says that innovation *requires* openness," O'Brien added.

"That is very insightful, and an attack on the basic idea of Windows," O'Brien pointed out. "I think that as time goes by, more and more companies are going to see that innovation really *does* require openness."

'They Become Less Appealing'

Similarly, "catastrophe might be a little strong, but it is only logical to hedge your bets," agreed
Hyperlogos blogger Martin Espinoza. "As Microsoft predictably tries to tighten their grip further, they become less appealing to developers and publishers."

Linux continues to be a viable alternative, "but at the same time, the numbers of users continue to be less than impressive," he noted.

"Still, with many people only buying games through Steam these days, if they can get a significant number of developers (and development houses) to port their games to Linux, it is likely that they will have numerous customers," Espinoza predicted.

"I suspect the majority of these customers will not be new customers, but current Windows Steam customers who shift platforms," he added.

'Steam Is Huge'

And again: "Gaming is one of the niches where GNU/Linux has been excluded by developers," observed blogger
Robert Pogson.

"Steam is huge," Pogson added. "If they port to GNU/Linux, many games will be available to GNU/Linux users."

Then, "when '8' flops, users of Steam needing a new PC may well choose GNU/Linux," he said.

'The Boost Linux Needs'

"Basically, Valve is looking at a future where getting their apps to consumers means going through Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft or Sony," suggested Roberto Lim, a lawyer and blogger on
Mobile Raptor.

"It seems like they are a bit worried about that kind of future," Lim added. "The only platform which guarantees to remain open to apps direct from the publishers is Linux. Valve is supporting Linux to make sure it does not find itself locked in behind apps stores owned by other companies."

That, in turn, "could be the boost Linux needs to make a big splash in the desktop space," he concluded.

'I'll Probably Buy a Few Games'

"I'll just take it and probably buy a few games if they port some good ones," Mack said. "I'm tired of feeling like Linux is an afterthought when it comes to games."

In any case, Newell's comments couldn't have come as music to Microsoft's ears, noted Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works on the LedgerSMB project.

'The Beginning of the Tipping Point'

"This is on top of Microsoft's shrinking Windows revenue and Dell announcing plans to offer Ubuntu on laptops," Travers pointed out. "It seems to be one thing after another for Microsoft these days.

"This may well be the beginning of the tipping point for the tech giant," he opined.

Meanwhile, the pace of change in desktop operating systems in general and user interfaces in particular "has become breathtaking," Travers observed. "Quite frankly, average users are left out in the cold. I am sure it will settle down again, but it will take some time."

Katherine Noyes has been writing from behind Linux Girl's cape since late 2007, but she knows how to be a reporter in real life, too. She's particularly interested in space, science, open source software and geeky things in general. You can also
find her on Twitter and
Google+.